Hospital ‘Never Events’ – a rare occurrence?
By Clare Gooch
Most of us rely on the NHS to provide us with medical care, whether that be due to a routine operation or an emergency situation and most of the time, the care provided is reasonable. However, when the care provided is less than reasonable, it can be devastating and in some cases life altering.
Sadly, there are some instances that should be wholly avoidable such as instruments being left in the body after a surgical procedure. These events are commonly known as a ‘never event’.
A never event is something the NHS defines as a wholly preventable serious incident. These can include not only situations such as instruments being left in patients during surgery but also extends to the wrong limb/organ being removed during surgery or the wrong prosthesis being fitted. These hair raising events, without doubt, will have a profound impact on a person and their family.
It has recently been reported that Kent Hospitals have seen over 50 ‘never events’ in the last 5 years ranging from operations on wrong parts of the body to foreign objects being left in the body following surgery.
AvMA and former Trust Chief Executives have said that whilst mistakes can happen, particularly in a highly pressurised NHS, ‘never events’ are not excusable. They are of the view that ‘Never should mean never’ and these events are inexcusable when they do occur.
A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "The safety of all patients is of vital importance and these unfortunate events - although rare - can have a serious physical and psychological impact ."
"When 'never events' do occur, we require trusts to investigate them and take effective actions to improve safety as part of the NHS Patient Safety Strategy," they said.
At Switalskis, we represent many families who have been affected by ‘never events’ that sadly occur across the UK. The consequences of inadequate medical care are devastating and life altering. We support the need for change to ensure that our clients receive a higher standard of care so as to avoid the outcomes we see.
We invite anyone who has been affected by a ‘never event’ to get in touch so that we can begin to support you.
Reach out to us today for a free, no-obligation consultation by calling 0800 1380 458, or contacting us through the website.
Clare has worked in Medical Negligence for over 10 years. She’s a Senior Associate Solicitor in our Medical Negligence team based in Switalskis’ London office.
